Dispensing attachment for collapsible tubes, including a reciprocating piston



April 1, 1952 K. A. GARVEY 2,591,145

DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES, INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING PISTON Filed Oct. 20, 1949 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR COLLAPSI- BLE TUBES, INCLUDING A RECIPROCAT- IN G PISTON 1 Claim.

The invention relates to dispensing attachments for collapsible tubes, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind, which is simple in construction, andone wherein a predetermined measured quantity of tooth paste may be dispensed onto a brush thereby obviating the present waste of excessive quantities of paste.

A further object is to provide a measuring tooth paste attachment comprising a tubular sleeve threaded at both ends and adapted to be threaded onto a tube neck so tooth paste may be ejected into the inner end of the sleeve chamber against a slidable piston in the sleeve until the sleeve chamber is filled and the piston reaches its outer limit of movement for stopping the ejecting operation, said sleeve, when filled, being reversed on the neck of the collapsible tube, so that upon the next squeezing operation on the tube will act against the opposite side of the Piston d force the piston outwardly for discharging the tooth paste from the outer end of the tube onto a tooth brush.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional form of collapsible tube, showing the device applied.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the reciprocating piston.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the attachment and tube neck, showing the parts at the starting of the operation.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l, but showing the piston at its outer end of movement, and the chamber of the attachment sleeve filled with paste.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing the attachment turned end to end so that upon squeezing of the tube, the piston will eject the measured amount of paste from the outer end of the attachment sleeve.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates the body of a conventional form of collapsible tube, and 2 the threaded neck of the tube. The attachment comprises an elongated sleeve 3 having a chamber 4 extending axially 2 through the sleeve. Both ends of the sleeve 3 are threaded as shown at 5 and 6.

Slidably mounted within the chamber 4 is a recciprocating piston 1 adapted to limit the amount of tooth paste ejected from the tube into the inner end of the chamber 4, and the piston also forms means for ejecting the measured amount of material from the outer end of the sleeve when the sleeve is turned end for end, and the thread 6 threaded onto the neck 2 of the tube, as shown in Figure 6. Piston 1 is provided with a radial lug 8, which lug extends into a longitudinal channel 9 in the inner periphery of the tube 3.

When the tube of paste is purchased the usual cap is discarded, andone end of the tube 3 is threaded onto the neck 2, as shown in Figure 4. The tube I is then squeezed and the tooth paste ID is ejected through the neck 2 into the chamber 4, as shown in Figure 5. The force of tooth paste on the inner end of the piston I forces the piston outwardly until the lug 8 engages the outer end of the groove 9, and at which time there is a measured quantity of tooth paste between the inner end of the piston and the tube neck. When it is desired to dispense the measured quantity of tooth paste in the chamber 4, of the sleeve, the sleeve is unscrewed from the tube end 2 and turned end for end, as shown in Figure 6, and is then screwed on the neck. The further squeezing of the tube will then force the piston 1, outwardly, reference being had to Figure 6, for the dispensing operation, and refilling the inner end of the sleeve chamber preparatory to the next dispensing operation.

From the above it will be seen that a dispensing attachment is provided for a collapsible tube, by means of which attachment a predetermined amount of paste may be dispensed as desired. It will also be seen the device may be attached to any conventional form of collapsible tube neck without modifying the construction of the tube neck, and the parts are reduced to a minimum thereby insuring a positive operation at all times.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

The combination with a collapsible tube having a threaded neck, of a dispensing attachment for said neck whereby a predetermined bulk of material may be dispensed from the collapsible tube, said dispensing device comprising a tubular member having interior threads at both ends and a chamber extending axially therethrough, one end of said tubular member being threaded on the neck, a reciprocating piston within said tubular member, said piston being limited in its inward 3 movement by engagement with the threaded neck, the other threaded end of said tubular member forming means whereby said tubular member may be turned end for end and threaded on the neck so a further filling of the chamber of the tubular member against the end of the piston will eject the previous material from the tube, one side of the piston intermediate its ends being provided with a radial lug, said lug being slidably mounted in a longitudinally extending channel in the inner periphery of the sleeve, the ends of said channel forming limiting means cooperating with the lug 10 Number REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,186,711 Schleicher Jan. 9, 1940 

